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Sunday, July 09, 2006

Reparation$ Movement

The AP reported today on an alleged "reparations movement" sweeping educational, religious and corporate institutions across the nation. In short, some intellectuals have argued that black people in America need white people in America to confess the sins of their forefathers and pay the ultimate penance: Cash money.

That's a pretty ironic penance given that advocates for reparations claim the purpose is to create a sense of closure through truth, understanding and emotional healing. The AP summarizes, "...neither whites nor blacks will heal from slavery until formal hearings expose the full history of slavery and its effects -- an effort similar to South Africa's Truth and Reconciliation Commission after apartheid collapsed."

I suppose the fact that there is not a single slave still living in this country, nor is there a single slave owner, trader or driver around to apologize doesn't seem to give these people cause to pause. In South Africa, when a mother confronts the man who murdered her family, and he has to answer for what he's done, well that seems to make sense. I can't understand how someone apologizing for what their great great great grandfather may have done to someone's great great great uncle is going to do much. But then, we're back where we started: This is about money.

One voice of reason rang clear in the AP's coverage, "The reparations movement is based on a fallacy that cripples the thinking on race -- the fallacy that what ails black America is a cash problem," said McWhorter, who is black. "Giving people money will not solve the problems that we have."

Not only does his statement reflect the true nature of the so-called reparation$ movement, it also summarizes quite nicely the leftwing band-aid for black america. Perhaps focusing on the future instead of money-grabbing at the past would yield more productive results for those hoping to get somewhere with reparations. In Milwaukee, I'd suggest starting with the teen birth crisis. But hey, what do I know?